Of Most Humble Beginnings
by Cat-Star4
Summary: This is a story that takes place long before Kyoshi, and is about a Avatar that came out of most humble beginnings. The story of Avatar Kaizo, the only avatar to die without mastering any elements. Wondering how, read the story First Avatar Fanfic


**_Chapter One: First Night._**

Me: Hello, this is my first Avatar fanfic. It takes place hundreds of years before Aang, Roku, or even Kyoshi. It is about my avatar characters and a young Avatar of that time, Avatar Kaizo, the only Avatar to die without mastering any elements (Read to understand) I own almost all characters in this, but I obviously don't own Avatar the Last Airbender. Now, on with the story

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It had been raining at the time that a woman approached the Fire Nation temple dragging a young child behind her, who did not understand what his mother was doing out in the rain, or why they had to leave their warm hut. He had asked her many times "Where are we going? Why are we going?" but the woman walked in silence.

For a moment they were dry as the reached the archway door leading into the temple. With a downcast look of despair, the woman took hold of the doorknocker and beat it on the door.

They were greeted with an annoyed scowl from an elderly gentleman. "Yes, what is it? We were in the middle of a training session." The woman bowed in respect and pushed down on her son's back to make him bow as well.

"Please forgive me, my lord. I can no longer care for my little boy. It's become so hard to even take care of myself since I lost my husband last summer." She apologized, tears glistening down her face.

The boy looked up to his mother in confusion. "Momma?" He questioned, growing suddenly afraid.

"I am afraid we cannot accept charity cases. That would not be fair to the others students and people who pay to be here." The gentleman said as he turned to close the door.

The woman looked at him with a look of desperation. With tears streaming down her face she pleaded. "Please lord! He can work for his stay. He can learn to be a hard worker. He need not be a charity case. Please lord, I beg of you!"

The elderly man looked even more annoyed at the begging. "We do not accept charity cases. Goodbye madam." He began to shut the door, but a hand gripped it.

"Now now, Bai Ming, I'm sure we can find something for the lad to do." Said the man who grabbed the door.

"Yes Mao Fu. I'm sorry, I should have talked it over with you." Said Bai Ming, as he bowed.

Mao took hold of the woman's arm and pulled her to the side, just inside the temple, away from her son. "Ma'am the only position open here for the boy would be the temple's slave. " He told her seriously. "The life will be harsh on him, and he seems innocent. He may not be the same after coming here. Are you sure you want to put this fate on him?" He asked her. Mao could see her tears glittering from the light of the fire.

"It's better than letting him starve or die of some disease. If I could avoid it if I would. I cannot even take care of myself, much less my little baby boy. It's the best I can do for now." She said softly, almost a whisper. Her posture etched with shame.

"Alright ma'am. If you ever do get your life straightened out, you can return for your son. I truly hope you do. Farewell." Mao sighed. He led her out the door, and knelt down in front of the boy and grabbed his arm as he went to follow his mother.

The young boy turned his head to look at Mao. "I'm sorry I can't stay sir, my momma's leaving. Asides, I'm not really apposed to talk to strangers." He turned his attention to his mother. "Wait up momma!" He called as his mother got farther away, and he tried to shake and pull his arm out of Mao's grip. When his mother made no effort to slow down or stop, and Mao's grip tightened, he started screaming. "Momma! Momma! Moooommmaa!"

When his mother kept on walking the child sank to his knees sobbing. "I already lost papa, and now momma left me too!" He cried, tears mixing with the rain.

Mao scooped the little boy up into his arms, holding him comfortingly. "I'm sorry child. Sometimes these things just happen." He carried the child inside the temple.

"I still do not understand this weird compassion you have Mao. The boy will only be a nuisance to us." Bai Ming said off-handedly to Mao.

"Be silent and go back to the other children. I have much to discuss with this little one." Mao gestured to the sobbing child in his arms.

"Yes sir." Bai said as he left down the corridor. "I still say that child will be trouble." He muttered to himself.

Mao turned away from Bai and set the child on his feet, and knelt down to his height. "Little one, might I know your name?" He asked, his voice gentle and soothing.

The boy sniffled a few times and wiped his eyes. "It…It's…Kaizo." The boy hiccupped.

"Well then Kaizo, I am Mao Fu, head of the fire nation temple." He told Kaizo, who was still crying. "You are going to be living here from now on, since your mother cannot take care of you." He felt awful telling the child this, bit it had to be done.

"But, why? Why…did my momma have to leave me? Why couldn't she…take care…of me?" He asked, still sobbing, making it difficult to finish his sentences.

"I don't know, little one. I wish things could have been different. But, there is something important I need to tell you." Mao paused for a moment, feeling terrible. "Your stay here is not a free one. You are going to have to work for your keep here. Sadly, like the Bai said, this is not a charity house. You will do the chores and tasks set before you, and you will be punished if you do not." He stopped again, letting his words sink into the child's mind.

Kaizo felt afraid for a moment and backed away from Mao. He almost turned to bolt, and froze and stiffened when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Mao frowned at the child's reaction. "There is no need to be so afraid young Kaizo. I mean you no harm. Your tasks will not start yet. I understand you will need time to get used to these new surroundings." He said reassuringly and he felt the boy become a little less tense. "Come, I will find you a place to sleep." He said, releasing the child's shoulder, and offered him his hand.

Kaizo tearfully stared at the hand Mao Fu was offering. The man's smile was reassuring, as was his voice, and something told Kaizo he could trust him. Timidly he raised his hand and took Mao's.

"I doubt things will be all bad Kaizo, and if you ever need any help, just ask me, or ask someone to come get me. You must say it's under my orders, though, or you may find yourself punished. I will try to make this as easy as I can for you." Mao said as he led the boy down a corridor.

They passed several doors, with a couple of the children peeking out of their room to see what was happening, a few whispering amongst themselves. Kaizo slightly flinched under their gaze, not used at all to such scrutiny.

Mao stopped at a closet door and pulled it open. "Could you wait here a moment Kaizo, while I get you bedding?" He asked the boy as he released his hand.

Kaizo nodded silently, and shrunk into the small three-meter closet that was now to act as his room. He backed himself into a dark corner, away from prying eyes of the other children. He sat down, and buried his face in his knees. He had just managed to stop crying, and he was honestly to tired to cry any more, but his body still shook with wet chills and his despair, and then a wave of terror suddenly came over him, and he curled into a tighter ball.

A light a moment later was his saving grace, as Mao Fu, with a lighted hand, peered into the closet. "Are you in here Kaizo?" He called softly, and then he spotted him in the corner and let the fire fade. "You are going to need to move so I can put down the bedding." He scooped up Kaizo, and set him just out of the way of the closet door. Mao somehow managed to drag the straw mattress into the small closet, and covered it with some plain white sheets, and placed a pillow in the dark corner where Kaizo had been sitting.

"Thank you sir. May I please rest now?" He asked, shaking as another cold chill ran through him.

It was Kaizo's actions that reminded him the boy was drenched; as he felt the dampness he had gathered inadvertently from Kaizo, made his clothes stick to him. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here are the clothes you will wear from now on. If they are in too bad of shape, I will have them repaired. At least for now they are something dry." He said as he handed the bundle to Kaizo, who eagerly took them.

Kaizo managed to squeak out a soft, "Thank you, and good night," as he retreated back into the closet.

Mao smiled a sad smile and closed the closet door. "Poor young child. The hard times are only beginning." He murmured to himself as he walked down the hall.

Kaizo wiggled out of his soaked clothes, and folded them neatly beside the bed, and slipped into the warm temple robes he had just been given. There were some parts of the clothes that had obviously been eaten by moths, but other than that it was fine for now. He then pulled back the top layer of the sheets and crawled underneath, rested his head, and went to sleep.

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Me: Well, there you go. It's the prologue, or first chapter, or whatever you want to call it. To find out what happens to Kaizo, keep reading. Oh, and leave me a review! Though flames will be eaten by Kaizo, silly flamers! 


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